If you call, I will answer
by littlepiecesofme
Summary: And if you fall, I'll pick you up. And if you court this disaster, I'll point you home.
_I think it's getting to the point_

 _where I can be myself again_

 _I think it's getting to the point_

 _where we have almost made amends_

 _I think it's the getting to the point_

 _that is the hardest part_

 _-"Call and Answer" - Barenaked Ladies_

 _._

* * *

 _._

"Mama, no! Don't leave!"

Sofia clung to Arizona's waist as a crack of thunder sounded over the city, but she reached her hand out to Callie as well, grasping onto the taller woman's shirt as she stood in the open doorway, cool air washing over them.

"Sweetie, it's okay..."

Letting out a soft sigh, the brunette loosened her daughter's grip even as the rain started pounding down harder behind her, lightning flashing in the sky again. The storm that had started earlier that evening had become ferocious – even by Seattle standards.

"Mommy..." the little girl's voice was slightly muffled as she turned her face into her mother's body, "I'm scared."

Arizona just stroked the soft, dark hair under her palm, glancing past her ex-wife to where the weather was raging outside. The rain was coming down in buckets – the street in front of the house nearly invisible – and as thunder rolled through the darkness again the wind audibly picked up and gusted across the yard.

"Why don't you come in for a bit?" making a split second decision, the blonde looked up and let her eyes meet Callie's, "just until it lets up. I don't want you to drive in this."

And although Callie was surprised – since Arizona and she had barely spoken the last two months – she glanced behind her at the storm and nodded once. She understood the look on the other woman's face; she knew Arizona had hated thunderstorms ever since the plane crash. And Sofia hated them too. And she was positive that it would be awkward, but they agreed to do their best at some semblance of friendship for their daughter's sake, so may as start tonight.

Half an hour later the storm hadn't let up, if anything, it was getting worse outside – the wind whipping around the house and lightning illuminating the sky every few minutes. Sofia had been wedged between the two of them on the couch as they watched a baking show, but when Arizona looked down she could see the little girl's eyes fighting to stay open, exhaustion evident on her face.

"Hey..." she murmured softly, smoothing her hand along a small back, "I think it's time for bed, Sof."

Sofia yawned loudly, rubbing at her eyes a bit, and the blonde scooped her up – something she didn't do very often anymore – shifting the six-year-old's weight onto her hip.

"Mama too."

A yawn escaped her again, her words mumbled as she laid her head on Arizona's shoulder, but she reached out for Callie and the other woman was helpless to resist, meeting her ex-wife's eyes briefly for a silent glance of permission.

"Okay, mama's coming too. Let's go tuck you in."

As they headed upstairs to the little girl's bedroom, Callie couldn't help but glance around a little...realizing she'd never actually been this far into the blonde's house. The first floor was made up of the living areas and DeLuca's bedroom, and upstairs she caught a glimpse of an office, a bathroom, and two bedrooms across from each other. One wall of the hallway was tastefully covered with a collection of framed photos...several of them that used to hang in the house they shared, and a few new ones that Callie hadn't seen before, mostly of Sofia.

And one of the three of them. The last photo of the three of them, probably.

Sofia was half asleep on her feet as she changed into her pajamas, but when Arizona tried to get her to settle down into bed another loud crack of thunder boomed in the sky, and the lights flickered briefly throughout the house. Small brown eyes immediately darted open in fear, and although Arizona soothingly murmured to her again, trying to tuck her in securely and reassure her, she knew the little girl wouldn't be falling asleep on her own any time soon.

"Stay. Mommy please."

Their daughter's soft voice tugged at her heartstrings, and all the blonde could do was nod, kissing her head and shifting up to lay beside her in the three-quarter size bed. Callie moved to drop a kiss on Sofia's forehead as well, presuming that was her cue to leave, but as she leaned down a small hand grasped onto hers and tugged lightly.

"I need you too."

"Sof...sweetie. Mama has to go, but you're safe now, I promise. You have mommy right here, okay?"

"Callie."

And that time it was a different voice that reached her ears – the tone soft, and almost affectionate. A tone Callie hadn't heard in a long while. She glanced up to meet the blue eyes beside her daughter, and she saw Arizona give a barely perceptible nod of her head before she spoke again.

"You should stay too."

Without another word, and as a flash of lightning lit up the bedroom, Callie climbed in on the other side of the bed, curling her arm around Sofia as she immediately snuggled into her side. She wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but honestly? She wasn't about to fight it. She treasured any time spent with her daughter, and...part of her missed time spent with her ex-wife as well. They used to have dinner together once in awhile, as a family. Or meet for Sunday coffee with Sofia at the park. But now they did neither; they were no longer friends. They avoided each other at work, and only spoke when one of them dropped off their daughter. They barely even looked at each other. They were more estranged than they'd ever been, and it had been an unsettling feeling in Callie's heart over the last few months.

She reached over to switch the lamp off and Arizona shifted a bit closer to the child between them, curling a hand around Sofia's waist and rubbing her side softly as she laid her head on the pillow beside her. The little girl burrowed further into Callie's chest, yawning again and sighing sleepily, and although the rain continued to pelt the window and thunder boomed continuously over top of them, she finally seemed to be at ease.

"She hates thunderstorms."

Callie could see her ex watching their daughter's face in the shadowy light of the room, and the blonde whispered softly when she spoke, the protective instincts evident in her tone.

"She really does," the taller brunette glanced down, adjusting the blankets a bit over the small body, "and so do you."

A silence settled over the room, as it became obvious that the little girl between them had finally fallen asleep, and for awhile, neither woman said a word as the storm raged on outside. They didn't dare move, for fear of waking their daughter...but they were each lost in their own thoughts, the tension between them slowly settling into something a little less uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry I tried to take her from you."

The words left Callie's lips in a barely audible whisper, but the emotion in her voice was clearly evident. And genuine. It took the other woman by surprise, and she let her gaze shift up to glance at Callie's face, searching her eyes.

"She belongs here. With both of us."

"I forgive you."

The blonde let out a soft sigh, her simple reply coming out quietly as she ran her hand lightly along their daughter's side again. She was tired of being angry. She'd been tired for awhile.

"Arizona...I did miss you enough. I just..."

"I know."

A flash of lightning lit up the sky again, casting a bright glow over the bedroom, and their eyes met for a brief second from opposite sides of the bed. And somehow...it no longer felt uncomfortable. It felt familiar.

"I missed this."

Callie's words felt weighted with something that she'd been holding back for awhile - something she hadn't been sure she'd ever voice, not after all that had changed between them. But they were the truth. And somehow - Arizona could sense it too. Behind the anger, and the bitterness, and the hurt she felt...Callie and Sofia were her family.

Callie was her family.

And it felt like something was shifting, like something as powerful and intense and as wild as the storm outside was stirring between them. Something was crackling in the air, and for the first time in a long time, it didn't feel like a spark of destruction.

It felt like the spark of a flame.

A spark, barely there, rising from the ashes.

"I missed this too."

.

.


End file.
